The Piedmont Environmental Council and the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation’sImagination Foundation teamed up withCyphertank on November 17 to follow-up a successfulkickoff event with an evening of facilitated discussion about trails and greenways -- with a beat.

Spoken-word artists Bernard Hankins, Cullen “Fellowman” Wade and Envy rapped a freestyle improv to get the creative juices flowing, unleash abundant quality feedback and multiple layers of meaning. “The warm-up got me thinking of issues in an entirely new way,” said one attendee.

The seventy-plus people in the room then divided into three groups, each facilitated by one of the rappers. They brainstormed potential greenway destinations, barriers and what a greenways journey might include.

Attendees brainstorming ideas for greenways.

The cypher process opened participants to new possibilities, including the potential for seemingly contradictory truths to successfully co-exist. For example, several people suggested that there be wayfinding and signage, but they also like to get (safely) lost from time to time. There was talk of moonlight and handholding, and other topics not typically included in public meetings.

The evening concluded with a (w)rap-up and debriefing back in the large group that summarized findings and recommended paths forward. The event yielded lots of useful data but it also brought people together, generated enthusiasm for the project, and suggested a new way to run public meetings.

“Ever since [the events of] August 12, I’ve been looking for something positive to work on that would bring the community together. This might be it,” confided a second attendee. The project is about bridging gaps in the community with physical connections but it is also about finding a process that unifies and galvanizes.